Walk away from your mortgage, or stay?

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We live in a speed-of-light world. Brand-new problem? Go to www.solveyourbrandnewproblem.com. Is it a scam? A wonderful new business? A public service? Who knows, but it’s there in an instant. Internet surfers, beware.

In that spirit, two links that readers have sent my way: Make The Bank Wait -- a website advertising a book (only $9.95!) that promises to tell you ways to delay foreclosure. For only $9.95, you can ‘Read the story of how a seemingly helpless and unfortunate homeowner excercised his right to keep his home ... and there was absolutely NOTHING the bank could do but wait!’

For those with itchy feet and a budget of roughly 100 times that -- $995 -- there is You Walk Away, which promises to tell you the best, simplest way to, yes, walk away from your mortgage. I’m not sure why it requires three payments of $332 to learn how to walk, but this website encourages you to ‘Unshackle yourself today from a losing investment and use our proven method to Walk Away.’

Blogger’s bloviation: Please do not take this post as an endorsement or recommendation of these links. I post them only for the (small) news value that they embody -- the news that American businesses are finding ways every day to profit from foreclosure and foreclosure anxiety. Relatedly, remember that the entire mortgage crisis developed in part because government lacks the ability, the interest and the imagination to effectively monitor and regulate fast-changing industries like the mortgage industry. It’s a safe assumption that the government cannot keep up with new businesses like these. You’re on your own out there. Be careful.

Thoughts? Comments? E-mail story tips to peter.viles@latimes.com.
Photo Credit: LATimes.com